PR During Crisis
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This document provides an overview of public relations strategies and best practices for managing crises. It discusses four types of crises, key elements to include in a crisis communication kit, the three Rs of crisis communication - research, response, and recovery, and tips for spokesperson communication. The document emphasizes the importance of planning, relationship building, information gathering and dissemination in effectively handling a crisis situation.
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PR During Crisis
- 1. Public Relations During Times of Crisis
- 2. Crisis is . . . “A nonroutine event that risks undesired visibility that in turn threatens significant reputational damage” Credit: Doorley & Garcia, p. 328
- 3. 4 Types of Crises Meteor Predator Breakdown Lingering Credit: Shel Holtz @ http://blog.holtz.com/index.php/weblog/crisis_communication_fundamentals/ Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kittymeetsgoat/1373562566/
- 4. Sparks of a Crisis Environmental Technological Terroristic Criminal Misconduct Managerial Accidental Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/liberato/2521884271/
- 5. Benefits of Planning Reduce Stress Demonstrates Goodwill Flow of Information Involves Stakeholders Business Continuity
- 6. 7 Must Have Elements in Your Crisis Communication Kit A list of the members of the crisis management team Contact information for key officers, spokespeople, and crisis management team members Fact sheets on the company, each division, each physical location, and each product offered. Profiles and biographies for each key manager in your company Credit: Don Crowther at http://www.globalprblogweek.com/archives/7_musthave_elements_.php
- 7. 7 Must Have Elements in Your Crisis Communication Kit, cont’d Copies of your company, division and product logos, your press release format and the scanned in signature of your CEO on disk Pre-written scripts answering key questions that you have generated through your crisis scenario analysis Contact information for each of your key media contacts both locally, nationally, and if appropriate, key financial press and analysts. Credit: Don Crowther at http://www.globalprblogweek.com/archives/7_musthave_elements_.php
- 8. Environmental Scan: Search for the Negative Google Alerts search.twitter.com For-fee services like Radian6 & CustomScoop From Brian Solis: http://www.briansolis.com/2008/11/reinventing-crisis-communications-for.html
- 9. The “Suck OR Die” Factor “product+sucks” “company+sucks” “die+company” “i+hate+company” From Brian Solis: http://www.briansolis.com/2008/11/reinventing-crisis-communications-for.html
- 10. 3 Rs of Crisis Communication Research Response Recovery Photo by Christopher.Woo, Flickr
- 11. RESEARCH Relationship Building Environmental Scan Emergency Personnel Notification Procedures Communication Procedures Practice
- 13. Emergency Personnel Team Spokesperson (1-2) Phone team Researcher and writer Business continuity Decision maker Legal council, if applicable
- 14. Notification Procedures Emergency Personnel Team Board of Directors Employees Members Other Stakeholders
- 15. Communication Procedures Platform Priority Policy
- 16. Spokespersons Interest and Empathy Honesty and Authenticity Responsive and Proactive Open to Criticism Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/presta/142795058/
- 17. Bridging Don’t Know: I don’t know, but I can tell you… Time: That may have been the case in the past. Now we are… Importance: That once was important. What is most important now is… Completing: I think you would have a more complete picture if you considered… Yes and No: No, let me explain. Yes, and furthermore…
- 18. RESPONSE Emergency Notification Gathering Information Releasing Information Stages of Crisis
- 19. 4 Stages of a Crisis From Communication Overtones
- 20. Notification
- 23. Tell It Tell it all Tell it fast Tell them what you’re doing about it Tell them when it’s over Get back to work Credit: Doorley & Garcia, p. 336
- 24. RECOVERY Follow up Proactive storytelling Solidify relationships Adjust plan
- 25. YOUR TURN
- 29. Measuring “Success” Power of the Impact How hard Breadth of the Impact How long Depth of the Impact How isolated Credit: Ike Pigott
- 30. Kami Watson Huyse, APR Phone: (713) 568-5750 E-mail: kami@myprpro.com Blog: Communication Overtones Web site: www.myprpro.com Used with Permission Copyright August 2008 © all rights reserved
- 31. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Prepare at Work,American Red Cross “Now is Too Late,” by Gerald R. Baron CrisisBlogger 7 Must-Have Elements for Crisis Planning Crisis Communication Articles Emergency Procedures Flowcharts Doorley, J., & Garcia, H. F. (2007). Reputation management: The key to successful public relations and corporate communications. New York: Routledge.
- 32. Contact Me Barbara B. Nixon, Ph.D. (ABD) Public Relations Faculty Member Southeastern University E-mail: bbnixon@seuniversity.edu Twitter: barbaranixon Skype: barbara.b.nixon Blog: Public Relations Matters
Editor's Notes
- Crisis = Danger + Opportunity
- Types of crisesCrisis communication literature has tackled the categories of crisis a number of ways. Over the years, I have distilled these into three major categories:Meteor crisis—Completely unexpected, a meteor crisis falls from the sky. It’s usually characterized by randomness and senselessness and is viewed as a terrible thing. The organization affected is a victim in a meteor crisis, but nevertheless, confidence in the organization is at risk. Consider the recent shooting in an Omaha shopping mall. This was not the mall’s fault, but people may opt to shop elsewhere after the shooting. How quickly and effectively the organization responds will determine whether it is perceived as complicit or innocent.Predator crisis—In “The Insider,” Russell Crowe portrayed former tobacco executive Jeffrey Wigand, who delivered confidential company documents to “60 Minutes.” I would argue that Wigand did the right thing (others will disagree), but from the company perspective, he was a predator; that is, he was out to cause the company harm. In a predator crisis, the company is hardly a victim—it must have dirty laundry in order for a predator to air it. Other kinds of predator crises include behind-the-scenes disputes that go public, new regulations that expose safety or other shortcomings, and litigation that reveal unsavory business practices (like, for instance, an insurance company that drags its feet approving an organ transplant until the patient has died).Breakdown crisis—A breakdown crisis occurs when the company fails to perform. Organizations usually bring breakdown crises on themselves by taking shortcuts, deviating from ethical business practice, or showing disdain for the concerns of its constituents. Product liability lawsuits, recalls, environmental disasters, manufacturing accidents and financial scandals (Enronleaps to mind) all fit in the breakdown crisis category.The entire discussion on FIR was kicked off by a comment from listener Michael Allison, who identified a new category that can overlay each of the three categories above: a “lingering crisis.” Michael’s example: zoo animals continuing to die over the course of several years (even if from old age or other natural causes) gave anti-zoo activists ongoing fodder to pitch to the media. This lingering crisis could fit as any of the categories above: meteor if the deaths were all natural and had nothing to do with confinement in a zoo, breakdown if some of the animals died due to a failure to comply with zoo standards (a containment wall four feet too short leading to a zoo goer’s death would fit here in a lingering crisis about animal escapes), and predator if a non-issue is made into an issue by an activist group like PETA (which did, in fact, make plenty of hay out of the situation).
- Chances are incredibly high that your company is going to experience a crisis of some kind in the next 5 years. It's how you handle that crisis with the media which will likely determine whether that crisis builds or seriously damages your company.That's why it is vital that you develop a crisis communications and management plan that prepares you in advance for this eventuality. In preparing this plan, keep in mind that this crisis may allow you to continue business as normal, or it may result in a situation where you aren't able to get access to the tools you normally use to do your job (natural disaster, lockout, etc.) so your crisis communications kit needs to provide the capability for you to provide the appearance of normality even in the most abnormal situations.Thus it's important for your crisis communications kit to not only be duplicated in some offsite location, but to also include information, disks, graphics, computer files, photos, etc. that are normally readily at your fingertips in your office.Here's a starter list of seven items that should be included in any crisis communications kit:1. A list of the members of the crisis management team, which should include, at minimum, the CEO, a trusted assistant/top manager from the CEO's office, heads of each department, public relations and marketing team members, legal and security. In case of actual crisis, this team will be focused down to the group applicable to that specific crisis.2. Contact information for key officers, spokespeople, and crisis management team members including company and personal phone numbers, email addresses, cell numbers, pagers, faxes, instant message handles, addresses, even spouse's cell numbers. 3. Fact sheets on the company, each division, each physical location, and each product offered.These should be in camera-ready condition, plus available on a disk in a generally-accepted word processor format (Microsoft Word) so they can be revised and printed out if necessary on a computer external to your facilities. Photos should also be included.4. Profiles and biographies for each key manager in your company, again in camera-ready condition and on disk.5. Copies of your company, division and product logos, your press release format and the scanned in signature of your CEO on disk in a format that works on your internal word processing program (plus one in Microsoft Word in case you have to work on a computer that isn't tied to your network.)6. Pre-written scripts answering key questions that you have generated through your crisis scenario analysis. Included in these scripts should be the words you use to say "we don't have that information yet, but will let you know as soon as it becomes available."7. Contact information for each of your key media contacts both locally, nationally, and if appropriate, key financial press and analysts. Contact information for your appropriate political, regulatory, and union leaders should also be included. Don't be afraid to go overboard here - if you have a large chemical release, your CEO will probably want to call not only the Mayor, but the Governor and congressional representatives.We strongly recommend that you assemble this kit shortly. It will be one of the best insurance policies that you can have on hand once a crisis begins.For more information on crisis management and communications, we recommend that you check out Crisis Communication Planning: Organizing and Completing A Plan That Works.
- Chances are incredibly high that your company is going to experience a crisis of some kind in the next 5 years. It's how you handle that crisis with the media which will likely determine whether that crisis builds or seriously damages your company.That's why it is vital that you develop a crisis communications and management plan that prepares you in advance for this eventuality. In preparing this plan, keep in mind that this crisis may allow you to continue business as normal, or it may result in a situation where you aren't able to get access to the tools you normally use to do your job (natural disaster, lockout, etc.) so your crisis communications kit needs to provide the capability for you to provide the appearance of normality even in the most abnormal situations.Thus it's important for your crisis communications kit to not only be duplicated in some offsite location, but to also include information, disks, graphics, computer files, photos, etc. that are normally readily at your fingertips in your office.Here's a starter list of seven items that should be included in any crisis communications kit:1. A list of the members of the crisis management team, which should include, at minimum, the CEO, a trusted assistant/top manager from the CEO's office, heads of each department, public relations and marketing team members, legal and security. In case of actual crisis, this team will be focused down to the group applicable to that specific crisis.2. Contact information for key officers, spokespeople, and crisis management team members including company and personal phone numbers, email addresses, cell numbers, pagers, faxes, instant message handles, addresses, even spouse's cell numbers. 3. Fact sheets on the company, each division, each physical location, and each product offered.These should be in camera-ready condition, plus available on a disk in a generally-accepted word processor format (Microsoft Word) so they can be revised and printed out if necessary on a computer external to your facilities. Photos should also be included.4. Profiles and biographies for each key manager in your company, again in camera-ready condition and on disk.5. Copies of your company, division and product logos, your press release format and the scanned in signature of your CEO on disk in a format that works on your internal word processing program (plus one in Microsoft Word in case you have to work on a computer that isn't tied to your network.)6. Pre-written scripts answering key questions that you have generated through your crisis scenario analysis. Included in these scripts should be the words you use to say "we don't have that information yet, but will let you know as soon as it becomes available."7. Contact information for each of your key media contacts both locally, nationally, and if appropriate, key financial press and analysts. Contact information for your appropriate political, regulatory, and union leaders should also be included. Don't be afraid to go overboard here - if you have a large chemical release, your CEO will probably want to call not only the Mayor, but the Governor and congressional representatives.We strongly recommend that you assemble this kit shortly. It will be one of the best insurance policies that you can have on hand once a crisis begins.For more information on crisis management and communications, we recommend that you check out Crisis Communication Planning: Organizing and Completing A Plan That Works.
- Michael Arrington venting on Twitter about Comcast.
- Prepare a statement for local television media, who have already called you for comment.
- Come up with some tips on how the communication for this should be handled with parents, how could it have been better?
- What will you do?
- UPDATE: Ike Pigott, from the American Red Cross, sent along an addition list that I like a lot—the metrics by which he measures a PR crisis:Power of impact (immediate damage) How hard is this strike?Breadth of impact (duration) How long will it be remembered?Depth of impact (cleanup) How isolated is the damage? Is it one person’s screwup or a system failure? Fixed with one firing or a massive review?